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The question isn’t why college — it’s which college. Most people get an education to get a job. Not just any job, but one that establishes a career path in something rewarding that earns a good salary. At least that’s the dream. When researching schools, look for the right college to help you reach your career goals.
Finding the right college means looking at a variety of factors to make your time there comfortable and effective. Students often select colleges for several reasons, including the community surrounding the college, its available courses, access to amenities and attractions, the location of the college and costs. But one factor often overlooked when deciding which college to attend is the job placement rate. According to Bloomberg Businessweek in an analysis of the best business schools, job placement rates include the percentage of students who got a job in the field or related field the student was trained in.
Job placement rates are important and should influence your decision to choose a college, because it helps to determine the likelihood of being able to acquire gainful employment after graduation. However, it’s important to note job placement numbers can be misleading or confusing if interpreted incorrectly.
Based on information collected from the College Scorecard, IPED and Niche — including employment rates two years after graduating and median earnings after six years — here are some of the top colleges for getting a job in each state.
1. Alabama
College: Birmingham Southern College
City: Birmingham
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $45,600
2. Alaska
College: University of Alaska at Fairbanks
City: Fairbanks
Placement Rate: 84%
Median Earnings: $37,100
3. Arizona
College: Arizona State University
City: Tempe
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $45,400
4. Arkansas
College: University of Arkansas
City: Fayetteville
Placement Rate: 92%
Median Earnings: $43,100
5. California
College: Stanford University
City: Stanford
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $85,700
6. Colorado
College: Colorado School of Mines
City: Golden
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $82,100
7. Connecticut
College: Yale University
City: New Haven
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $83,200
8. Delaware
College: University of Delaware
City: Newark
Placement Rate: 96%
Median Earnings: $55,100
9. Florida
College: University of Florida
City: Gainesville
Placement Rate: 92%
Median Earnings: $53,100
10. Georgia
College: Spelman College
City: Atlanta
Placement Rate: 94%
Median Earnings: $46,800
11. Hawaii
College: University of Hawaii at Manoa
City: Honolulu
Placement Rate: 89%
Median Earnings: $43,600
12. Idaho
College: University of Idaho
City: Moscow
Placement Rate: 92%
Median Earnings: $41,000
13. Illinois
College: Illinois Wesleyan University
City: Bloomington
Placement Rate: 96%
Median Earnings: $55,600
14. Indiana
College: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
City: Terre Haute
Placement Rate: 97%
Median Earnings: $79,200
15. Iowa
College: University of Iowa
City: Iowa City
Placement Rate: 96%
Median Earnings: $50,200
16. Kansas
College: Kansas State University
City: Manhattan
Placement Rate: 94%
Median Earnings: $43,800
17. Kentucky
College: Transylvania University
City: Lexington
Placement Rate: 94%
Median Earnings: $41,700
18. Louisiana
College: Xavier University of Louisiana
City: New Orleans
Placement Rate: 95%
Median Earnings: $47,900
19. Maine
College: Bates College
City: Lewiston
Placement Rate: 94%
Median Earnings: $55,700
20. Maryland
College: John Hopkins University
City: Baltimore
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $69,800
21. Massachusetts
College: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
City: Cambridge
Placement Rate: 92%
Median Earnings: $94,200
22. Michigan
College: University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
City: Ann Arbor
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $60,100
23. Minnesota
College: Macalester College
City: Saint Paul
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $45,300
24. Mississippi
College: University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
City: University
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $41,100
25. Missouri
College: Washington University in St. Louis
City: St. Louis
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $66,300
26. Montana
College: Carroll College
City: Helena
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $43,500
27. Nebraska
College: University of Nebraska at Lincoln
City: Lincoln
Placement Rate: 96%
Median Earnings: $43,700
28. Nevada
College: University of Nevada Reno
City: Reno
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $45,000
29. New Hampshire
College: Dartmouth College
City: Hanover
Placement Rate: 92%
Median Earnings: $70,000
30. New Jersey
College: Princeton University
City: Princeton
Placement Rate: 89%
Median Earnings: $85,000
31. New Mexico
College: New Mexico Institute of Mining
City: Socorro
Placement Rate: 86%
Median Earnings: $52,900
32. New York
College: Columbia University
City: New York
Placement Rate: 88%
Median Earnings: $78,200
33. North Carolina
College: Wake Forest University
City: Winston-Salem
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $60,200
34. North Dakota
College: University of Mary
City: Bismarck
Placement Rate: 95%
Median Earnings: $46,200
35. Ohio
College: The Ohio State University
City: Columbus
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $43,700
36. Oklahoma
College: Oklahoma City University
City: Oklahoma City
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $40,300
37. Oregon
College: Reed College
City: Portland
Placement Rate: 88%
Median Earnings: $37,900
38. Pennsylvania
College: University of Pennsylvania
City: Philadelphia
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $82,400
39. Rhode Island
College: Brown University
City: Providence
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $63,100
40. South Carolina
College: Clemson University
City: Clemson
Placement Rate: 95%
Median Earnings: $50,900
41. South Dakota
College: Dakota State University
City: Madison
Placement Rate: 94%
Median Earnings: $36,700
42. Tennessee
College: Vanderbilt University
City: Nashville
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $64,500
43. Texas
College: Rice University
City: Houston
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $64,300
44. Utah
College: Brigham Young University
City: Provo
Placement Rate: 79%
Median Earnings: $56,800
45. Vermont
College: Middlebury College
City: Middlebury
Placement Rate: 87%
Median Earnings: $55,600
46. Virginia
College: Virginia Military Institute
City: Lexington
Placement Rate: 97%
Median Earnings: $63,200
47. Washington
College: University of Washington
City: Seattle
Placement Rate: 90%
Median Earnings: $54,800
48. West Virginia
College: West Virginia University
City: Morgantown
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $44,800
49. Wisconsin
College: University of Wisconsin at Platteville
City: Platteville
Placement Rate: 97%
Median Earnings: $45,400
50. Wyoming
College: University of Wyoming
City: Laramie
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $46,200
Final Thoughts
The next time you're looking for a college to attend, consider its job placement rates. It's key to pay attention to this number, because it will give you valuable insight into which schools may provide you with the best potential to get a job when you graduate. If you want to dive even further, analyze your path based on millions of others with your digital career counselor.
